What is Pilates Flow?

Are you new to mind body exercises like Pilates?  Do you see the word FLOW in a class name and think about flowing down the river in a raft?  What does it mean to FLOW in a class?

The Pilates method of exercises uses the concept of learning a sequence of exercises and then tying those exercises together in a way that makes it seem like you are constantly moving or flowing.  This type of practice allows the practitioner (student) to continually practice specific movements and fine tune them in their body while getting a great workout.

Usually in a FLOW class not only is there a sequence but there are transitions between exercises.  What this means to you is that you are moving more and resting or pausing less (aka – more work!)  It also means that you will probably be more comfortable in a FLOW class if you’ve already learned these exercises and sequences so you don’t feel like you are lost!  You don’t need to be an expert at the exercises but it is nice to have a basic understanding of the movements involved and have done most of them at least a time or two before taking a class.  This way you are comfortable with the version of each exercise that’s best for your body and can fine tune it.

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Your instructor will be cuing and giving suggestions for different variations but probably won’t stop the sequence of a class to give a detailed “how to” of every exercise.  If you are looking for a slower paced class or a class that takes a little more time to walk you through the intricate details of each exercise it might be best to start with a Fundamentals class, a beginner class, or an all levels class that isn’t specifically a FLOW class.  A private lesson is also a great way to prepare you for a FLOW class if you want to learn the movements and sequences before jumping into a class.

Have more questions about what type of class might be best for you?  We would love to talk to you one on one so we can learn more about you and give you our suggestions on what classes might be a good fit for you!  Feel free to email or call us or set up a complimentary private session to learn more!

Meet the Instructor Monday – Shara Power

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2014-03-22 14.53.07In today’s Meet the Instructor Monday, we’d like to introduce you to Shara Power, who began teaching yoga classes at Rivercity Pilates this summer.   If you haven’t tried one of Shara’s classes, I guarantee she will make you feel terrific, as she leads you in moves that will work every muscle in your body! We asked Shara some questions, and here are her answers!

Compare yoga to your full time job!!  During the day for my “real” job, I am an Informatics Specialist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This is a fancy way of saying I work with the hospital’s computer charting system. I was a Bone Marrow Transplant nurse for the first 7 years of my career and transitioned to the information technology side of health care in 2012. It was at this time that I started my first teacher training at Jane’s House of Yoga in St. Louis, Mo in the Dynamic Yoga Method. I learned a lot about change in that time frame and yoga was the grounding force that helped me deal with it. I use yoga everyday in my daily life, not just in the physical adjustment of my body but more so in how I deal with others, stress and challenging situations. Yoga has taught me to accept what I can not change and to be open to the exploration of new ideas and complex problems.

Favorite food to prepare?  I am not an incredible cook but I am learning! I try at every holiday to learn how to make a family recipe. My husband, Zach, and I like to share the wealth when it comes to cooking at home. We try to cook and clean up together whenever possible. It is great being able to spend time together by doing something so simple.

We heard you were a dancer, can you elaborate?  I started dancing when I was 4 years old and danced all the way through college. I have done just about every style of dance out there but jazz and lyrical were always my favorites. In fact, it was my love of movement that brought me to yoga after college. I have yet to try ballroom or belly dancing but hopefully I can get Zach to ballroom with me at some point in our lives!!

Why did you choose to practice Yoga?   As I mentioned, I was an avid dancer and have always had a need for movement in my life. I have never been a sports person or a runner so when I graduated from college and went from dancing 4-6 hours a day to nothing, I felt like there was a huge void in my life.  My Mom started practicing yoga in 2007 and encouraged me try it out. I started practicing in 2008 at The Studio on South Dubuque St in Iowa City. I remember being so sore for the first 2 months of practice!! But underneath all the sore muscles something was happening deep in my heart. I was falling in love with this practice! It was liberating, life affiriming and emotionally challenging all in one. I knew I was hooked from that moment on.

Why did you become an instructor?  I had been considering becoming a teacher for about a year but the turning point for me was when a teacher of mine asked me if I would be interested in teaching a class at the studio. I have been on the teaching journey ever since.

catsHow do you de-stress  outside of yoga?  Lots of time with my husband, Zach, and 2 cats, Bailey & Duncan. I also LOVE to travel and am gone as often as I can be.

What is your favorite song / favorite group?  My favorite artist since I was about 14 is Tori Amos. Don’t get to play her music much in class but I listen to it constantly and have seen her in concert about 6 times.

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Something that would surprise the students who have been in your classes so far?  I am a HUGE Harry Potter Fan. I have my own wand from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and have been sorted into the Ravenclaw House. Zach and I plan to go on a Harry Potter themed England vacation in the summer of 2016.

I’ve attended Shara’s classes, and her excitement and energy inspire all her students!   Try a yoga class with Shara soon — I am certain that you will be glad you did!   We are excited to welcome Shara to Rivercity Pilates!

Carey

The No Cheat Hundreds!

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Have you done your Pilates Hundreds today?

The Pilates exercise called the Hundreds is a great exercise designed to engage and strengthen the whole body while specifically strengthening the your core muscles.

Click to watch the video and learn a variation of the exercise that we call the No Cheat Hundreds. 

By adding a strap (or a belt) as a prop you can ensure that you are maintaining an effective upper abdominal curl and really getting the most out of this classic Pilates exercise(no cheating!).

If you like this video be sure to click like and share this post with your friends!

 

 

The Day I Discovered Mindful Exercise

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DSCN0397A Student Story:

My name is Becky Monroe, and I’m a student at Rivercity Pilates.   I’m also a blogger in my work and personal life.     Carey offered me a free class card for some Pilates Student Blogs, and I jumped at the chance.   I have been practicing Pilates since March 2014.   I’m not sure when my trips to RCP transitioned from workout to “a practice”, but I am starting to feel like I am practicing Pilates.   I generally take my private sessions and my classes in the early morning, before anything in my life can get in the way of my workout.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a really bad day at work.   There was one of those “let’s talk it out” calls, and the conversation seemed to focus on me not doing anything right.   No doubt part of what was said was true, as I realize there are two sides to everything, but I left that conversation feeling hurt and betrayed.    I choked back my tears, and tried to keep on keepin’ on.   I tried to keep busy after work, but the tears were always right there, right under the surface.    I didn’t sleep well, in fact I was awake until early morning.   I finally fell asleep just a couple of hours before my alarm went off for 6:30 sunrise class.   I considered going back to sleep, but I knew that sleep was unlikely.  I got up and got ready, and got back in the car.    Right then, all the feelings from the day before came rushing back.

When I drove into the parking lot at RCP, I couldn’t hold the tears in.   I considered driving to another parking lot and just sitting there to cry it out.   Yes, I know I take things too personally, but I think that also contributes to some of the good things I do.   I walked in, and got on my reformer, mostly without looking around.    As we started to do footwork, my brain was racing.

I’ve never tried to do a reformer workout when I was emotional.   Would I be able to do it?    I considered walking out, but I had the reformer in the back, and I didn’t want to walk by everyone.   My brain wasn’t even clear enough for me to remember that there was a back door.   Ok, concentrate.   Footwork.    Push out, pull in.   Don’t move your hips.    Breathe.   Inhale on the way out.   Exhale on the way in.   Do another one.    Ok.    Birds on a perch.    Wrap the toes and heals around the bar.   Out and in.  Stretch those heals.   Curl around the bar.   Inhale, exhale.   I didn’t want any thoughts to invade my head or my heart from outside the room.   Heals on the bar.   In and out.   Inhale, Exhale. Tendon Stretch.   Inhale. Exhale.  Maybe I can make it through.  

It was time for hundreds.   OH MY!    Can I make it?    As soon as I curled up — my ability to breath went away!  I read somewhere that you should try to inhale and fill the bottom of your lungs and then up.    My lungs felt like they were tiny, like baby sized lungs.   Focus.    I put my head down for a couple of breaths.    That helped a little.    Back up.   Baby lungs were still here.   What would I have to do to feel better?  

Short Spine was next.    Turns out, that short spine was the answer.    The first one I did — I must have looked like Gumby — and I’m sure Carey was wondering what was going on with me.   She didn’t say anything, and she let me work it thru, and I did that whole class, one breath at a time.   By the end of short spine, I was feeling like the tears had gone back into my tear ducts, and I could face the rest of the class.  When we got to the long box/short box — I had to concentrate — because I didn’t want to fall off the box, and I struggle with all those exercises on a good day.

When I got back into the car after class, I did feel the stress of the workday in front of me.   The stress hadn’t disappeared, but I wasn’t replaying that conversation in my mind over and over like a broken record.   Mindful exercise brought me past that “let’s talk it out” conference call, and brought me to the present moment.   To be perfectly honest, when people had talked about mindful exercise — I may have rolled my eyes and thought they just wanted to be teacher’s pet…….until I felt it myself.   I truly hope that you all will be able to feel that focus, without having a “let’s talk it out call”.      See you in class.   Come in the AM.   We have fun during mindful exercise!

 

Julie’s story of living her purpose and how she can help you find yours!

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Julie & Asha

Julie & Asha

You may already know me as a Barre and Yoga instructor at Rivercity Pilates but I am happy to reveal that I am also offering Life Coaching and Reiki services!

So as my service to you deepens, I only thought it was fitting to deepen our relationship and tell you a little bit more about me and how I got here.

As a young girl, I was fascinated with movement and dance.  It was my outlet and a way for me to express myself, as I was also extremely shy and timid.  This was my place to shine but also to connect to like-minded friends.  It was a savior for me!  But as I grew older, I held the belief that I needed to pursue a lucrative career, one that would provide “security” and independence.

I received a Master’s degree in Administration focusing on the non-profit sector and worked for many years in program development.  But as the years flew by, I felt deeply in my soul that I wanted to work with people in a more profound and personal way.  So, drawing on my love of movement, I enrolled in a Yoga Teacher training and began to teach yoga in the evenings. The more that I worked with people helping them to connect to their bodies, the more I learned about and desired to incorporate a holistic mind, body and spirit approach.

So I set off to embark on a second master’s degree in counseling psychology and then promptly took a job as a program director for the Fulbright Commission in Mexico City, yet another administrative role.  They say that old habits die hard and following my dreams (in the professional realm) was just not something I was accustomed to.  But they also say that life will take you where you need to go, which leads to the part where I was let go from said stable, high-powered job.

And so finally, in the midst of crisis, I surrendered to following my dream and began the journey back home to my roots.

I hired a coach to help me sort out my “stuff” and since then I have begun a journey to make my dreams a reality.   I have started my own business, begun teaching movement on a daily basis, become certified as a life coach and have become more fulfilled, personally and professionally, than I could have ever imagined.

As I reflect back on that shy, timid child who saw dancing as her savior, I am reminded that my soul has always known who I am and what I want, I just couldn’t hear the call.  I was blocked by fear and the “shoulds” and the “what will people think of me.”   I was like a little train that had gone off the track and I was getting nowhere fast! Moreover, I was tired (because its hard to move a train that’s not on track), and I was resentful and angry and most of all unhappy.  Figuring out who I was in the depths of my soul and subsequently creating a plan and acting on it has brought me more movement and happiness than ever seemed possible… in less than a year!

I share my journey, not to just blow my horn or bore you with the details of my life, but to demonstrate that my journey has led me to today.  I wouldn’t be able to coach you about what it means to dream and change and return to your purpose if I haven’t focused on what transformation really means. I am here today because I am transforming my life from blah to beautiful.  Each and every day, I do the work, and more and more every day I walk the talk.

I know that desire to connect more deeply to life and purpose.  I have desired to enhance my relationships, to follow my dreams, to be a better leader, to release fear and most importantly to love myself enough to change!  And now I want to share the wisdom that I have gained to help you along your path. I believe that the road to personal development is the path of a warrior, but it is where the victories are won.

What will the next chapter in your book be?

Life coaching is a positive and forward-looking approach to personal development that is results oriented and filled with vision, purpose and fun.  It is the intersection of dreams and reality.  My personal coaching approach is compassionate and sometimes therapeutic, but also no nonsense and down to earth.  Moreover, I bring a wealth of formal experience including:

  • MA, Counseling Psychology – California School of Professional Psychology
  • MS, Non-profit administration – University of Notre Dame
  • Certified Life Coach – Life Purpose Institute
  • Specialization in Focusing Oriented Therapy – The Focusing Institute NYC
  • Registered Yoga Teacher  – Dancing Feet Yoga
  • Certificate in Latino Family Therapy – Alliant International University Mexico City
  • Reiki Master energy attunement
  • Numerous years of experience working with people in leadership development, crisis counseling and family therapy

I will be offering one-on-one coaching services, Reiki sessions, and a free informal evening of exploration called Life Inspired once a month…and of course Barre and Yoga classes!

 

If you have questions, the slightest bit of curiosity or are ready to just dive in, please sign up for a free consultation to discuss what would work best for you.

I look forward to working with you!

Julie

 

Meet The Instructor Monday – Janee Anderson

janeeteaserToday we’d like to introduce you to Janee (pronounced Jane-ee) Anderson!   Janee teaches small group classes at Rivercity PIlates.

What brought you to Pilates? About 5 years ago, I realized how much I hurt from driving for my job every day. My lower back hurt, my shoulders were hunched up and I was basically needing to distress and relax. I searched online and came up with RiverCity Pilates. Carey was in her very first studio. It was a very small space but she was so filled with positive energy and just pushed me to try and do my best every time I was in class. I drive about 40 miles one way from Washington to the studio but it has ALWAYS been worth it.

I practice Pilates for the benefit to my body but also the benefit of the mental support it gives me every day. It is MY time to breathe, focus, and make myself stronger in all ways. I became an instructor because of the leadership Carey has always given me and the desire to help others become fit in mind body and spirit. I am truly a believer in all the benefits Pilates can bring to someone. I also enjoy the positive camaraderie at the studio with the staff and all the wonderful clients who come in.

What is your favorite color?    Black and gold are my favorite colors and I am an avid Hawk fan. I love football season and am known to dress all out on game days.

family mexicoTell us about your family!   My husband, Ross, is soon to begin his 32nd year of teaching and will be in his second year of 3-5th elementary education. I am trying to get him to do some very basic fundamentals of Pilates with his students. Jordan is 29 and works for Northwestern Mutual. He has just gotten engaged and we are thrilled to have Mandy become a part of our family. Lucas is 24 and works at our bank in Washington. Both Ross and Lucas have been to the studio and done mat and equipment classes. Luke loves the reformer and Ross likes the tower.

We also have three dogs who are important members of our family. Hawkeye is the tiny Schnauzer who has made a visit to the studio to help me plank . Luther is our yochon and Leo is our Bichon.

 

How do you relax?    Occasionally I am known to enjoy a glass of chardonnay or Pinot Grigio on my front porch. I know during exercise time the best refreshment is a big bottle of water…

hawkeyelegsTell us some things we wouldn’t know from attending your classes!   

  1. I can talk like Donald Duck. Don’t worry, I wont teach with that voice anytime soon.
  2. My longest plank was just over 3 minutes and was in the yoga room.
  3. Cassie, Shelley M and I are all Luther College grads. (Cassie and Shelley M are also RCP students)
  4. My favorite Pilates exercise is teaser.

I am a big believer in positive energy and I love taking pictures…I hope to continue adding to my classes in the next year or two. I hope to see you in class soon!